Electronic component embedded printed circuit board and manufacturing method thereof

ABSTRACT

A printed circuit board with an electronic component embedded printed circuit board and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method of manufacturing a printed circuit board with an embedded electronic component having a groove formed on one surface thereof and an electrode formed inside the groove includes: forming a first circuit pattern on one surface of a first metal layer; pressing the first metal layer against a first insulator; forming a first conductive protrusion by selectively etching the other surface of the first metal layer; and mounting a first electronic component by disposing a conductive adhesive layer such that an electrode of the first electronic component and the first conductive protrusion are electrically connected to each other. Thus, an electronic component without its electrode protruded outward can be mounted easily and reliably and the manufacturing time can be shortened.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2008-0105777, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office onOct. 28, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electronic component embeddedprinted circuit board and a manufacturing method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

In step with the rapidly-changing information age, there has been anevolution of technologies in electronic component embedded printedcircuit boards, in which various active components are not mounted on asurface of the printed circuit board but mounted inside the board, toprovide more features in a small space. As more active components areincreasingly embedded in the board, various functions of the variousactive components can be implemented and the lining of signaling can beminimized, thanks to the extra surface obtained.

As such, in case the active components are embedded inside the board, avia has to be formed in the board such that the active components areelectrically connected to circuit patterns.

In order to form the via, a hole may be formed in the board by using alaser, and then a plating layer may be formed inside the hole. However,while forming the hole, it is possible to damage an electrode of theelectronic component due to undercuts caused by the laser, therebyincreasing the plating process and time to plate.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides an electronic component embedded printedcircuit board and a manufacturing method thereof, in which an electroniccomponent without its electrode protruded outward can be mounted easilyand reliably and the manufacturing time can be shortened.

An aspect of the present invention provides a method of manufacturing aprinted circuit board. In accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, the method of manufacturing a printed circuit board with anembedded electronic component having a groove formed on one surfacethereof and an electrode formed inside the groove includes: forming afirst circuit pattern on one surface of a first metal layer; pressingthe first metal layer against a first insulator; forming a firstconductive protrusion by selectively etching the other surface of thefirst metal layer; and mounting a first electronic component bydisposing a conductive adhesive layer such that an electrode of thefirst electronic component and the first conductive protrusion areelectrically connected to each other.

The pressing of the first metal layer, the forming of the firstconductive protrusion and the mounting of the first electronic componentcan be performed for both surfaces of the first insulator.

The method can further include: forming a second circuit pattern on onesurface of a second metal layer; pressing the second metal layer againstthe first insulator by disposing a second insulator; and forming a thirdcircuit pattern by selectively etching the other surface of the secondmetal layer.

Before the pressing of the second metal layer, the method can furtherinclude: forming a nonconductive adhesive layer on one surface of thefirst insulator; and adhering a second electronic component to thenonconductive adhesive layer such that an electrode of the secondelectronic component does not face the first insulator, in which athrough-hole corresponding to the second electronic component can beformed in the second insulator; a second conductive protrusioncorresponding to the electrode of the second electronic component can beformed on one surface of the second metal layer; and a conductiveadhesive layer can be formed between the electrode of the secondelectronic component and the second conductive protrusion.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a printed circuitboard. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, theprinted circuit board with an embedded electronic component having agroove formed on one surface thereof and an electrode formed inside thegroove includes: a first insulator; a first circuit pattern, which isburied in one surface of the first insulator; a first conductiveprotrusion, which is formed on the first circuit pattern; and a firstelectronic component, which is mounted on the first insulator bydisposing a conductive adhesive layer and in which an electrode of thefirst electronic component is electrically connected to the firstconductive protrusion through the conductive adhesive layer.

The first circuit pattern, the first conductive protrusion and the firstelectronic component can be formed on both surfaces of the firstinsulator.

The printed circuit board can further include: a second insulator, whichis stacked on the first insulator such that the first electroniccomponent is covered; a second circuit pattern, which is buried in onesurface of the second insulator; and a third circuit pattern, which isformed on one surface of the second insulator and in which the thirdcircuit pattern is protruded outwards.

The printed circuit board can further include: a second electroniccomponent, which is adhered to one surface of the first insulator bydisposing a nonconductive adhesive layer such that an electrode of thesecond electronic component does not face the first insulator; a secondconductive adhesive layer, which is formed on the electrode of thesecond electronic component; and a second conductive protrusion, whichis buried in the second conductive adhesive layer such that theelectrode of the second electronic component is electrically connectedto the second conductive protrusion.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be setforth in part in the description which follows, and in part will beobvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing anelectronic component embedded printed circuit board in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 to 13 are flow diagrams illustrating a method of manufacturingan electronic component embedded printed circuit board in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 14 to 21 are flow diagrams illustrating a method of manufacturingan electronic component embedded printed circuit board in accordancewith another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As the invention allows for various changes and numerous embodiments,particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and describedin detail in the written description. However, this is not intended tolimit the present invention to particular modes of practice, and it isto be appreciated that all changes, equivalents, and substitutes that donot depart from the spirit and technical scope of the present inventionare encompassed in the present invention.

An electronic component embedded printed circuit board and amanufacturing method thereof in accordance with certain embodiments ofthe present invention will be described below in more detail withreference to the accompanying drawings. Those components that are thesame or are in correspondence are rendered the same reference numeralregardless of the figure number, and redundant explanations are omitted.

First of all, a method of manufacturing an electronic component embeddedprinted circuit board in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing anelectronic component embedded printed circuit board in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 13 are flowdiagrams illustrating a process of manufacturing an electronic componentembedded printed circuit board in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. Illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 13 are a first metal layer10, a plating resist 12, an etching resist 13, a first circuit pattern14, a first conductive protrusion 16, a first insulator 20, a conductiveadhesive layer 30, a first electronic component 40, an electrode 42, asecond insulator 50, a through-hole 52, a second metal layer 60, asecond conductive protrusion 61, a second circuit pattern 62 and a thirdcircuit pattern 64.

The first circuit pattern 14 is formed on one surface of the first metallayer 10 (S110). To do this, the first metal layer 10 having a desiredthickness is prepared, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and the plating resist12 is formed on an upper surface of the first metal layer 10 and then aplating process can be performed, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Throughthese processes, the first circuit 14 can be formed on one surface ofthe first metal layer 10, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

After these processes, the first metal layer 10 is pressed against thefirst insulator 20 (S120). Here, the first metal layer 10 can be pressedagainst both surfaces of the first insulator 20 at the same time, takingan efficient way of manufacturing the printed circuit board and thewarpage of the board into consideration. To do this, it shall be evidentthat the above processes illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 can be repeated.

In other words, the first metal layer 10 having the first circuitpattern 14 formed therein is prepared in a group of two, and the firstmetal layer 10 is arranged parallel to both the upper and lower surfacesof the first insulator 20, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and then compressedat the same time, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Through these processes, thefirst circuit pattern 14 formed on the first metal layer 10 is buried inthe first insulator 20.

Next, the first conductive protrusion 16 is formed by selectivelyetching the other surface of the first metal layer 10 (S130). The firstconductive protrusion 16, on which the first electronic component 40will be mounted later, is a part to which the electrode 42 of the firstelectronic component 40 is electrically connected. Therefore, the numberof protrusions 16 can be changed, taking the number of electroniccomponents 40 being mounted and the number of electrodes 42 being formedin the corresponding electronic component 40 into consideration.

To do this, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the etching resist 13corresponding to the first conductive protrusion 16 is formed on theupper surface of the first metal layer 10, which is selectively removedby applying an etching liquid, and then the etching resist 13 can beremoved. Through these processes, the first conductive protrusion 16 canbe formed, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

In the case of using the method described above, the first circuitpattern 14 and the first conductive protrusion 16 can be electricallyconnected to each other without performing another process.

Next, the first electronic component 40 is mounted by disposing theconductive adhesive layer 30, such that the electrode 42 of the firstelectronic component 40 and the first conductive protrusion 16 areelectrically connected to each other (S140). To do this, the conductiveadhesive layer 30 is formed on an upper surface of the first conductiveprotrusion 16 by using ACF or ACP, as illustrated in FIG. 9, and thenthe first electronic component 40 is mounted on the conductive adhesivelayer 30, as illustrated in FIG. 10.

In the case of a structure in which the electrode 42 is formed inside agroove of the electronic component 40, as illustrated in FIG. 10, aportion of the first conductive protrusion 16 can be inserted in thegroove, and thus a reliability issue in the attachment of the firstconductive protrusion 16 and the electrode 42 through the conductiveadhesive layer 30 can be solved. Moreover, the electronic component 40can be strongly supported by the first conductive protrusion 16 due tothis structural configuration.

It shall be apparent that the process of mounting the electroniccomponent 40, which has been described above, can be performed on bothsurfaces of the first insulator 20.

Illustrated in FIG. 10 is a pair of the electronic components 40 mountedon one surface of the first insulator 20. However, it shall be apparentthat the number of electronic components being mounted on the firstinsulator 20 can be changed, depending on the design specifications. Inthis case, the number of first conductive protrusions 16 can be alsochanged, as described above.

After the above processes, the second circuit pattern 62 is formed onone surface of the second metal layer 60, as illustrated in FIG. 11(S150), and the second metal layer 60 is pressed against the firstinsulator 20 by disposing the second insulator 50, as illustrated inFIG. 12 (S160). Then, the third circuit pattern 64 can be formed byselectively etching the other surface of the second metal layer 60, asillustrated in FIG. 13 (S170).

Especially to form the second circuit pattern 62 on one surface of thesecond metal layer 60, the same method illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 canbe used. In order to form the third circuit pattern 64, the methodillustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be used. If the above methods are used,the second circuit pattern 62 and the third circuit pattern 64 can beelectrically connected to each other without performing any furtherprocess.

Illustrated in FIG. 13 is the electronic component embedded printedcircuit board manufactured through the above processes. The electroniccomponent embedded printed circuit board in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention includes the first insulator 20, inwhich the first circuit pattern 14 is embedded in one surface of thefirst insulator 20, and the first conductive protrusion 16, which isformed on the first circuit pattern 14 and electrically connected to theelectrode 42 formed inside the groove of the first electronic component40 through the conductive adhesive layer 30.

The second insulator 50 is stacked on the first insulator 20 to coverthe first electronic component 40. Then, the second circuit pattern 62is buried in the second insulator 50, and the third circuit pattern 64,which is protruded outward, is formed, thereby implementing amultilayered structure.

Next, a method of manufacturing an electronic component embedded printedcircuit board in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 21, which areflow diagrams illustrating a process of manufacturing the electroniccomponent embedded printed circuit board in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention. Illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 21 arethe first metal layer 10, the plating resist 12, the etching resist 13,the first circuit pattern 14, the first conductive protrusion 16, thefirst insulator 20, the conductive adhesive layer 30, a nonconductiveadhesive layer 35, the first electronic component 40, a secondelectronic component 40′, the electrode 42, an electrode 42′, the secondinsulator 50, the through-hole 52, the second metal layer 60, the secondconductive protrusion 61, the second circuit pattern 62 and the thirdcircuit pattern 64.

Compared to the previously described embodiment of the presentinvention, the method of manufacturing an electronic component embeddedprinted circuit board in accordance with the present embodiment isdifferent in that the electrodes 42 and 42′ of the electronic components40 and 42′ being mounted on one surface of the first insulator 10 havedifferent directions. Thus, certain detailed description of thedescribed embodiments will be omitted, when it is repeated, and thedifference will be mainly described herein.

First, the first metal layer 10 having the first circuit pattern 14formed therein is pressed against both surfaces of the first insulator20 by using the same method described in FIGS. 2 to 6. After that, theetching resist 13 is formed on the first metal layer 10, as illustratedin FIG. 14, and then the first conductive protrusion 16 is formed byapplying the etching liquid, as illustrated in FIG. 15.

After these processes, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the nonconductiveadhesive layer 35 is formed by using NCF or NCP on one surface of thefirst insulator 20 where the first conductive protrusion 16 is notformed. Likewise, the conductive adhesive layer 30 is formed by usingACF or ACP on the upper surface of the first conductive protrusion 16.

Then, as illustrated in FIG. 17, the second electronic component 40′ iscoupled to the nonconductive adhesive layer 35 such that the electrode42′ does not face the first insulator 20. That is, a surface, on whichthe electrode 42′ is not formed, of the second electronic component 40′is coupled to the nonconductive adhesive layer 35. Likewise, the firstelectronic component 40 is mounted on the upper surface of the firstconductive protrusion 16, on which the conductive adhesive layer 30 isformed.

After that, the conductive adhesive layer 30 is formed by using ACF orACP on an upper surface of the second electronic component 40′, asillustrated in FIG. 18. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 19A, the secondmetal layer 60 having the second circuit pattern 62 and the secondconductive protrusion 61 formed on one surface thereof is pressedagainst the first insulator 20 by disposing the second insulator 50, inwhich the through-hole 52 corresponding to the second electroniccomponent 40′ is formed (in FIG. 20).

Here, the second metal layer 60 can be pressed after forming theconductive adhesive layer 30 on the second conductive protrusion 61, asillustrated in FIG. 19B.

After that, the third circuit pattern 64 is formed by selectivelyetching the other surface of the second metal layer 60, as illustratedin FIG. 21.

Illustrated in FIG. 21 is the electronic component embedded printedcircuit board manufactured through the above processes. Not only doesthe electronic component embedded printed circuit in accordance with thepresent embodiment have the advantages of the electronic componentembedded printed circuit in accordance with the previously describedembodiment, but it also has the advantage of effectively using bothsurfaces of the printed circuit board by disposing some of theelectronic components such that the electrode 42′ faces upward and bydisposing the others such that the electrode 42 faces downward.

While the spirit of the invention has been described in detail withreference to particular embodiments, the embodiments are forillustrative purposes only and shall not limit the invention. It is tobe appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify theembodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention. As such, many embodiments other than those set forth abovecan be found in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A printed circuit board with an embeddedelectronic component having a groove formed on one surface thereof andan electrode formed inside the groove, the printed circuit boardcomprising: a first insulator; a first circuit pattern buried in onesurface of the first insulator; a first conductive protrusion disposedon the first circuit pattern; a first electronic component mounted onthe first insulator by disposing a conductive adhesive layer, wherein anelectrode of the first electronic component is electrically connected tothe first conductive protrusion through the conductive adhesive layer; asecond insulator stacked on the first insulator such that the firstelectronic component is covered; a second circuit pattern buried in onesurface of the second insulator; and a third circuit pattern disposed onone surface of the second insulator, the third circuit patternprotruding outwards.
 2. The printed circuit board of claim 1, whereinthe first circuit pattern, the first conductive protrusion and the firstelectronic component are formed on both surfaces of the first insulator.3. The printed circuit board of claim 1, further comprising: a secondelectronic component adhered to one surface of the first insulator bydisposing a nonconductive adhesive layer such that an electrode of thesecond electronic component does not face the first insulator; a secondconductive adhesive layer formed on the electrode of the secondelectronic component; and a second conductive protrusion buried in thesecond conductive adhesive layer such that the electrode of the secondelectronic component is electrically connected to the second conductiveprotrusion.